Reynolds, Richard J., IV, PhD

Education

B.Sc.: Rhodes College, 1996M.Sc.: Texas State University, 2000Ph.D.: University Of Maryland, College Park, 2008Postdoctoral Fellow: University Of Alabama at Birmingham, 2010

Research Interests

In the broadest sense my research seeks to elucidate the number, location, and the distribution of effects of genes, and the forces that govern these distributions, on traits of organisms in populations. To address these questions, I have used a variety of statistical genetic approaches including traditional variance components models of pedigreed populations, quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies and large panels of single nucleotide polymorphisms genotyped in human beings. My particular interest is inference of genetic effects on the complex disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and using these genetic signals to predict in independent samples whether individuals have varying severity of disease or respond differently to RA therapies. As a complex disease, environmental effects such as smoking have large effect on RA, and I also have an interest determining if genetic effects on disease might be context-dependent on the environment. Furthermore, genetic effects may also be contextual on genotypes at other loci, and I aim to estimate these gene by gene interaction effects. These analyses sometimes require sophisticated statistical approaches with large computational burden. Thus, in addition to statistical methods application I also develop methods when circumstances require it. The ultimate goal of the research is to make use of the rich genetic tools and resources and the kind willingness of people to participate in research in order to improve the understanding and treatment of complex diseases such as RA.

Reynolds, R.J., D. Childers, and N. Pajewski. The distribution and hypothesis testing of eigenvalues from the canonical analysis of the gamma matrix of quadratic and correlational selection gradients. Evolution. doi:10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00874.x